Sunday, November 10, 2013

Going Grey: Three DIY Projects

There are several ways to go grey...

You can go grey young

You can go grey as you mature

or just testify before Congress!

Grey is having a moment. I like to think it's due to grey being a modern neutral and not that book 50 Shades of Stockholm Syndrome Grey. Our Faux Woe In-Box had 3 separate questions regarding different grey finishes. One question was about a shiny grey that could hold up to a steamy bathroom (maybe it's steamy because they are reading that 50 Shades book in the tub?). The 2nd question involved matching a linear wallpaper in silky sheen greys. And the final question referenced an old world type plaster in blue greys.

Finish One: The Steamy Grey

Preparation is key in a wet room with no ventilation. Check the sub-straight for bonding and signs of water problems like bubbled surfaces. These need to be repaired before base coating. I use Setcoat as my base-any darker shade will do.

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Trowel a layer of Stuco Lux Grey Skies 100%.

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This will dry about 30-40% lighter.

Next pop in Putty Stuco Lux and more Grey Skies. Gently blade to mix the two.

This is what the wet half looks like compared to the dry side.

When the wall is all the same color, trowel on Stuco Lux Sealer. This has a slight gold cast but you can tint with colorant if you want to kill some of the gold.

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Let the sealer dry. You can polish at this point but I like to skip trowel in more of the Putty Color for depth. Then I use a rotary brush to polish.

Finished sample

Second Finish: The Woven Wallpaper.

Trowel a layer of Moonstone Grey Venetian Gem Plaster in a long stripe down your wall.

Then use a Bark Roller and roll vertically down the wall. I do this several times to break up the patters. Surfaces has carried specialty rollers for over 3 years and this is the most versatile pattern.

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When this is dry, thin Silver Stain & Seal and trowel tightly over the plaster.

Use a cloth to soften chatter lines.

After the stain dries, tight trowel Queen Anne's Lace Lustersuede over the pattern

Again, use a cloth to soften chatter.

Finished Sample!

Third Finish: The Old World Plaster

Trowel a high/low coat of Nu'Villa Plaster in Pewter.

When this is dry, I tinted some O'Villa with Williamsburg Blue Stain & Seal. I popped this over the base. I also popped in some O'Villa that I left untinted. Gently blend with trowel.

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When the plaster is dry, brush on a glaze made with Dark Brown Faux Crème Color

wow...just realized I posted that twice- sorry bout that its early. I also had a question about the layering of product. When I do samples I generally throw on what ever product I have handy. Its only come back to bite me once....but that was enough! Now, I often wonder if a product is going to react with previous layer on the wall.

Finishing Acts is our on-line blog of decorative finishing projects, the people we know, and the products we use. The idea for Finishing Acts came from our experience posting for on-line forums where we enjoy sharing our pictures, our recipes, and technical support for our product line, Faux Effects. With so much information, it would be easy to monopolize a single thread. Plus we don't want to spend our time arguing or defending why someone should use our products or techniques over someone else’s. So, we decided to create our own focused blog to support individuals who enjoy our work, desire inspiration, and use Faux Effects products. For over 3 years, we have been photographing a wide range of home and commercial work to share with you. All DIY posts use the Faux Effects Silver Label product line which is available to anyone.

Rebecca Slaton

Director of Marketing & Public Relations for Faux Effects International. Rebecca has over 20 of decorative finishing experience on a variety of surfaces. Her speciality is cabinetry and funrniture finishing. She is a trained Faux Effects product instructor. Her work has been featured in national magazines, books and numerous showhomes. She is a presenter at national tradeshows and decorative arts educational associations.

Sample Challenge

Would you like to challenge me with a finishing project?Send me a picture and a brief description of yourproblem to: rjslaton@sbcglobal.netand I will create a sample to feature in our monthly Random Sample section with step by step directions. Help yourself and inspire others at the same time.